The present invention relates to theme park attractions. More particularly, the present invention relates to motion-based attractions including image viewing.
Simulators are used in a broad range of fields and for many different purposes. Flight simulators for the training of pilots and military simulators for the training soldiers are well known. Also well known is the use of simulators in the context of amusement park attractions. Generally, in this context, simulators include a motion base having one or more seats and a plurality of programmable actuators which displace the motion base from a rest position in accordance with a predetermined sequence of drive signals. The motion base movement is synchronized with a motion picture or story illuminated on a projection screen directly attached to the motion base or in the immediate environment.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,798,376 describes a motion base that moves and tilts passengers viewing a motion picture. A plurality of passenger holding frames is provided which are all synchronously moved by separate sets of actuators. A film is shown to passengers on a stationary screen. The passenger holding frames are each pivoted up and down on a beam which is supported only by two largely vertical actuators while two pairs of links or arms limit the movement of the beam.
Some theme park attractions utilize rotational motion, (i.e., roll, pitch and yaw) correlated with a visual screen to produce a desired effect. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,584,697 describes a motion base for use with a attraction system having a system controller that generates command signals for presentation of a sequence of audio-visual image signals to a guest synchronously with the movement of the motion base. The motion base is inverted and has six degrees of freedom.
In many of the present theme park attractions, such as in the examples listed above, throughput is highly constrained because only a single set of individuals may participate in the simulation at one time. Furthermore, these attractions must contend with the situation in which guests may be moving along a path, into and out of a simulated environment. In the situation in which ingress and egress must be considered there must be a strict correlation between the guest vehicle and the visual images. Furthermore, during transition between different screens, guests may be exposed to undesirable views such as the edge of the screen frame and views at undesirable angles.
Therefore, it is desired to increase the throughput while also increasing the quality of viewing of images in a motion-based theme park attraction.